Chapter 2

I put her tablet down, hands shaking.

He was here.

I walked to the main house, heart pounding.

Ethan stood in the grand foyer, looking around.

He smiled when he saw me. "Ava. You look beautiful."

It felt like a lie.

"Chloe seemed a bit upset earlier," I said, my voice carefully neutral. "Did you notice?"

His smile vanished. Concern flooded his face.

"Chloe? Upset? What happened? Is she okay?"

His reaction was too quick, too strong.

"I just thought she seemed a little... off," I said.

"Where is she? I need to check on her," Ethan said, already turning, looking for her.

He didn't ask me if I was okay.

He didn't seem to care about our dinner.

"Ethan, we were supposed to..."

"This is important, Ava. Chloe relies on me. You know how sensitive she is."

He rushed past me, out towards the pool area where Chloe was last seen with the other girls.

Dismissed.

My phone rang. Liam.

I answered.

"Ava? What did you do to Chloe?" His voice was sharp, accusatory.

"What are you talking about, Liam?"

"She's crying. You said something to upset her. Ethan's with her now. How could you? On your wedding eve? You're supposed to be happy for Ethan, not bully his friends."

Bully?

Chloe's words from the blog echoed. "Feeding them lies about Ava's 'cruelty'."

"Liam, that's not what happened."

"Save it, Ava. Chloe wouldn't lie. She's too good."

He hung up.

I felt sick.

Footsteps approached. Heavy, angry.

Derek. My step-brother.

His face was dark.

"What the hell did you say to Chloe?" he growled.

"Derek, I didn't..."

"Don't lie to me, Ava. She texted me. Said you threatened her. Said you were jealous she was getting attention."

Threatened her?

The blog. Chloe's manipulation. It was happening. Right now.

"She's very convincing, isn't she?" I said, my voice colder than I intended.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I needed to think. I needed to see this.

"If Chloe is so upset," I said, remembering a detail from her blog about her favorite "meltdown" spots, "she might have gone to that new bar in town. The 'Vineyard Tap'." She'd written about how dramatic it would be to be "found" there.

Derek's eyes narrowed. "How would you know that?"

"Just a guess," I said. "She likes trendy places when she's... emotional."

He stared at me for a moment, then pushed past me. "If you hurt her, Ava..."

He stormed out.

I was alone in the huge, silent house.

My wedding was supposed to be tomorrow.